Cause of Lupus..."No One Knows for Sure?"

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BOB1365@gmail.com - 25 Aug 2006 14:22 GMT

Gee. This doesn't sound like an acceptable answer. If you ask a
cardiologist what causes a myocardial infarction, they tell you a
bloodclot of some sort in the heart arteries. Ditto for any other
number of medical conditions.

So why doesn't medical science know what causes lupus?

In my case, discoid, I'd like to know in addition to the above:

What causes the initial flare up?
What makes the flare up stop?
Why does the disc stay at a couple of millimeters in size? Why doesn't
it consume all the skin?
I shave and nick myself daily. Why doesn't my immune system attack
every nick?

An on and on. The point being why doesn't science have an answer to
this? It almost seems that lupus is the polar opposit of HIV, where
the immune system is the attackee not the attacker.

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Andy - 25 Aug 2006 15:02 GMT

>Gee. This doesn't sound like an acceptable answer. If you ask a
>cardiologist what causes a myocardial infarction, they tell you a
>bloodclot of some sort in the heart arteries. Ditto for any other
>number of medical conditions.
>
>So why doesn't medical science know what causes lupus?

[

Try http://www.medical.lupusuk.org.uk/gp_guide/index.asp

Signature

Andy Taylor [Chair, N E Lupus Group]
See http://www.northeastlupus.org.uk for more!

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Beverley - 25 Aug 2006 18:15 GMT

My doc once said that there is some talk about a possible virus that might
trigger the immune system into going bonkers but nothing about a specific
virus - maybe different ones for different folks.

Yes, it seems that we are the opposite of HIV. In fact the studies that they
are doing on HIV and AIDS just may help us. I just caught wind of this the
other night and have not had time to follow up on it. But they know that the
T cells in HIV patients are there and not destroyed, which is a new
development but something turned them off.

I've often wondered if we gave someone with HIV our blood it would help
them, but every medical person I have ever asked has said no. Maybe it has
something to do with those T cells - maybe the HIV would just turn ours off
in them too.

I don't know why the immune system doesn't attack everything all the time. I
do know if I hurt a joint the lupus runs right there and does its thing on
me for a long time thereafter. And if I ever get a cold it seems 10 times
worse than anyone else's - think my system is just happy to have something
legitimate to attack. LOL

BTW, my medical knowledge would fit in the thimble for a mouse. LOL
Bev

> Gee. This doesn't sound like an acceptable answer. If you ask a
> cardiologist what causes a myocardial infarction, they tell you a
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
> this? It almost seems that lupus is the polar opposit of HIV, where
> the immune system is the attackee not the attacker.

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Avril - 25 Aug 2006 20:06 GMT

I'm sure I can trace my lupus back to 1999, when I had ME. Every year after
that I got some other problem.... allergies, dry eyes, vertigo, migraines,
joint pains, leg pains, sensitivity to insect bites, feeling ill in the sun,
until this year when we finally discovered it was lupus (after testing for
neuro borelleosis as I had been living in an area where this was endemic).

avril

Signature

mairinger@SPAMFREEMAILgmx.de

> My doc once said that there is some talk about a possible virus that might
> trigger the immune system into going bonkers but nothing about a specific
> virus - maybe different ones for different folks.

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Maggie - 25 Aug 2006 23:00 GMT

Bob,

I agree, it doesn't seem like an acceptable answer & it's even worse
when you've just been diagnosed. The good news is: with people fired
up and curious, such as yourself, they could very well get an answer
soon. I hope you'll continue to be set on finding answers to
auto-immune disorders & help others in the process.

Maggie

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BOB1365@gmail.com - 26 Aug 2006 18:00 GMT

Perhaps someone on the MENSA site might have a genius insight.

> Bob,
>
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> Maggie

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